Blade vs Captain America
by chilled monkey
Summary: A back alley in New York is the scene of a battle between the Daywalker and the Sentinel of Liberty. Who will prevail?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Captain America or Blade. Both are owned by Marvel Comics. No profit is being made from this story.

 **Author's Note:** This story takes place after Blade: Trinity but shortly before Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Warning! Character death ahead!

* * *

"The thirst always wins."

Blade had brushed off Drake's final words to him as a taunt, a final shot before finally expiring. The war against the vampires was won, the entire race wiped out by the bio-engineered Daystar plague. His battle was over.

Except it was not.

Blade had expected that without the need to hunt and kill vampires it would be easier to control his own thirst for blood, but if anything the inaction only made it grow stronger as the months passed. He had continued taking his serum of course but it didn't seem to be enough anymore.

And then one day Hannibal King had made one of his usual annoying jokes (he couldn't remember what had been said) and something had finally snapped. Blade had slammed him into a wall and ripped his throat out with his fangs. As Hannibal struggled futilely Blade drank his blood, not stopping until he had drained every last drop. Only then, with Hannibal's ghostly white corpse lying at his feet, did he realise what he had done. He felt none of the horror and disgust he had expected. Instead he felt only elation.

With what little self-control he had remaining he had fled the area and left the city to stop himself from killing Abigail Whistler. His aimless wanderings had eventually brought him to New York. Since he was officially believed to be dead he had been able to lay low enough to avoid detection and find himself a hiding place in a derelict storehouse. At night he would emerge to stalk his prey just like the vampires he had hunted.

* * *

A young man panted in terror as he fled down the alleyway, his heart thumping against his ribs. He fought the urge to look over his shoulder, knowing that if he slowed down even a bit his pursuer would catch him. Any second he expected to feel fangs biting into his neck…

Blinded by terror he didn't notice a discarded beer can until he tripped over it and fell to the floor. He rolled over and froze in fear as he looked up at the figure looming over him, long black coat swirling around like a raptor's wings.

Tears trickled down the youth's face as the dark figure opened his jaws to reveal gleaming fangs. He knew that this man, no, this _creature,_ was going to kill him…

WHAM!

A whirling circular object flew through the air and slammed into Blade's chest, knocking him off his feet and ricocheting back the way it had come. The guy watched in amazement as a blue-clad figure leaped into the air, performing a forward flip and catching the object, a circular shield, before landing on his feet.

* * *

Captain America surveyed the scene before him, silently thanking God that he had arrived in time.

When he had learned of a series of strange murders in his old neighbourhood, with bodies found drained of blood, he had immediately begun investigating. It looked like he had found the culprit. Witnesses had reported spotting a man in a black coat and sunglasses leaving the scene at several of the murders and the man in front of him fitted their descriptions perfectly.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he helped the youth to his feet.

"Y, yeah, thanks" he managed to reply.

Blade sprang to his feet, his lips drawn back in a snarl. The guy screamed and Cap stepped in front of him. He frowned darkly. Even with body armour the man in sunglasses shouldn't have recovered so quickly and completely from a direct hit from his shield like that. Clearly his foe was far stronger than an ordinary human.

"Run" he said.

The guy dashed off, not needing to be told twice. Now it was just the two of them, defender and predator.

Blade glared at his opponent. "You shouldn't have done that, hero."

"I'll give you one chance to surrender and come quietly" said Cap firmly.

"Like Hell."

Both warriors charged each other simultaneously, each throwing a rapid volley of punches and kicks. Blade was blindingly fast but Cap blocked each attack and responded with precise strikes of his own. However they too were blocked.

Abruptly Blade threw himself into a single hand-stand, gloved palm pressed to the floor while throwing a kick at his head. A move from Brazilian Capoeira. The unusual move would have caught a lesser foe by surprise but Cap ducked under it. As Blade regained his footing Cap landed two solid punches to his jaw followed by a spinning jump kick to the chest that staggered him.

But before he could press his advantage Blade uttered a primal roar and flew forwards to deliver a front jump kick that launched him back through the air and into a wall. He managed to let his body go limp so that he didn't slam into it at full force but it was still a hard hit.

Blade drew his sword and leaped forwards. Cap was able to bring up his shield just in time to block a slash that would have split him in two had it connected. Blade dropped into a crouch and slashed at his legs but Steve leaped over it and somersaulted over his head. Blade whirled around and came at him with a volley of cuts and stabs. The shield blocked each blow but the speed and ferocity of the onslaught drove him back. Sparks flew as sword and shield collided again and again.

Even as he gave ground Cap remained calm and focused. He could tell that his foe was becoming sloppier. The thirst was becoming uncontrollable now, eroding his focus and precision until he was just hacking away without any form of technique.

Finally the inevitable happened. The Daywalker's sword, while highly durable, was not unbreakable. Captain America's shield was.

With a loud _CRACK_ the blade snapped off and went spinning away. His mind clouded by bloodlust, Blade flung away the hilt and sprang at Cap, jaws open wide to rip out his throat.

This time Cap was ready. He sidestepped the wild charge and brought his shield down on the back of Blade's neck. The Daywalker went down hard and lay still.

Cap checked to make sure he was still breathing and then contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. He instructed them to send a team with restraints strong enough to hold a superhuman.

* * *

The team arrived quickly and he watched as Blade was loaded aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. truck. Cap's thoughts were troubled. While he was glad that no more innocent lives would be lost to the killer, he had also noticed the animalistic hunger that had overcome his opponent. Combine that with his inhuman strength and speed, and the fact that his victims had been drained of blood…

 _Is it possible that this man is a real-life vampire?_ Cap wondered. _Was he killing merely to survive?_

If so then he vowed to ensure that this man was treated fairly. If anything could be done to rehabilitate him then Captain America would ensure that it would be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** I had originally meant this to be a one-shot but after a review by dewwy dewart (thank you very much by the way, along with everyone else who faved/ reviewed this story) I decided that it warranted a proper ending. I hope you like it.

* * *

"How is he?" Cap asked SHIELD agent Maria Hill.

"He seems stable" she replied. "We provided him with several bags of cattle blood and he drank them down like they were coffee." Professional as always her tone showed none of the disgust she felt. "After that he calmed down."

She tapped a few keys on a nearby monitor and an image of Blade in his cell appeared. He was kneeling on the floor with his eyes closed. He looked to be meditating.

"I want to talk to him" said Cap firmly.

"Director Fury thought you would. He's already cleared it."

* * *

Blade opened his eyes and stood up as his keen hearing detected approaching footsteps. He watched impassively as Captain America walked up to his cell and stopped several metres away.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Blade gruffly said one word.

"Thanks."

"What for?"

"For bringing me in. In here I can't kill anyone else."

"I've read reports from the FBI. They think that you're delusional, but you're not. You need blood to survive" said Cap.

"Doesn't matter" Blade replied. "All that matters is that the monster is in a cage where it belongs."

"You are not a monster" said Cap firmly. "A monster wouldn't thank me for bringing it in. A monster wouldn't be glad to be locked away. I've known true evil and I know that you are not it."

Blade was surprised to hear that. It took him a moment to answer.

"Why are you here?"

"I want to hear your side of what happened."

So Blade told him. He told him of his early life when the thirst began to appear, how Whistler had found and trained him, his life as a Daywalker and vampire hunter, and finally how the thirst had overwhelmed him.

The Daywalker was surprised at himself for saying so much. He had never been one to speak openly, especially about something so personal. But there was something about Captain America that reassured him and made him feel at ease. Cap's quiet but firm charisma and his strength of personality could move even a soul as jaded as Blade's.

When he had finished Cap said, "I can talk to Fury. Maybe we can find a way to help you."

"You want to help me? Keep me locked up and throw away the key."

Before Cap could reply the door opened and Maria Hill entered. With her was a woman Cap didn't recognise. Blade however clearly did.

"Karen?"

"Hello Blade" she said softly. "Captain Rogers, Agent Hill can you give us a minute?"

"Of course."

When they were alone in the room Blade said quietly "you know why I'm here?"

"I know" Dr. Karen Jenson said. Her voice was even and without judgement.

"Then you know I have to stay here. I'm a danger to everyone around me. Even the serum doesn't work anymore."

"Blade, when I took this job at SHIELD part of the reason was so I could have the resources to better help you. With their equipment I've been able to produce a new formula that should be far more effective."

"It's not just that" he replied. "I spent most of my life fighting vampires but I never imaged living in a world without them, just dying while helping make that world. Now I'm here living in that world and I have no where to go. I don't know what I can be but a vampire hunter."

"A hero" she said.

"You're kidding."

"I'm serious. You can join the Avengers. There you could really make a difference."

"I'm not a team player"

"Blade you have a choice. You can either stay locked away forever or you be something that will give you purpose again."

"I'll think about it."

Knowing that was the best she could expect Karen nodded. "Alright. Will you at least try the new serum?"

"Okay."

* * *

The improved serum worked exactly as Karen had hoped. After taking it Blade was astonished at how effectively it quenched the thirst without any of the painful side effects he had grown used to over the years.

He spoke further with Cap and Karen. It turned out that Cap had also considered the possibility of a place within the Avengers for Blade and had consulted Nick Fury about it. Fury agreed that Blade would be a useful addition to the team.

After much consideration Blade made the decision to join the Avengers. He was still wary of working with a team but at least these people were professionals who didn't treat everything like a bad joke (with the exception of Tony Stark). Eventually Blade settled into the group. Between the improved serum and his newfound purpose he was once again able control the thirst.

While his "brooding loner" persona largely remained in place he was able to lighten up slightly over time. He contacted Abigail Whistler and they parted on good terms, her assuring Blade that what had happened to Hannibal wasn't his fault and she had forgiven him. He even started a relationship with Karen although both of them were careful to take it slowly.

One night at Stark Towers, months after Blade had joined them, the Avengers were celebrating victory over taking down a string of HYDRA bases. Blade however was on the rooftop gazing out over the city.

"Getting some fresh air Blade?" Cap asked.

The Daywalker wasn't surprised, having picked up the other man's scent the second he stepped onto the rooftop. He removed his shades and turned around.

"Parties aren't my thing. No point in just standing in a corner and ruining the atmosphere."

"I respect that" Cap replied. He understood all too well about needing time to oneself. "If you change your mind you're welcome."

"I know."

As Cap was about to leave Blade said "wait."

Cap turned. "Go on."

"I was thinking of how we met. That fight was the start of a new beginning for me. I owe you for that."

"You don't owe me anything."

A small grin appeared on Blade's face. "You know you just got lucky in that fight?"

"Oh really?" Cap laughed.

"Really. Any other time I'd have wiped the alley with you."

"How about we go a few rounds in the training room? Then we'll see if it was just luck."

"Sounds like a plan."

As they exited the rooftop Blade thought about how much things had changed. He had gone from his lowest point to the highest he'd ever known within only a few months. Thanks to the man walking in front of him.

Despite what Cap had said Blade still knew he owed him everything. Even if he could never repay his debt he vowed to spend the rest of his life trying.


End file.
